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For Indians, Silicon Valley's lure is fading with AI layoffs and immigration crackdown

Scroll | June 23, 2026 6:39 AM CST

This article was originally published in Rest of World, which covers technology’s impact outside the West.

Every month, at least two to three Indian-origin AI researchers in Silicon Valley between the ages of 25 and 35 reach out to Aakrit Vaish, founder of AI venture fund Activate, asking, “How can I come back to India and work in AI?”

As we spoke, the Mumbai-based executive explained that Indian startups are hoping to capture top talent and capitalise on this precise moment in time.

For decades, a big tech job has been the North Star for India’s elite tech workers, offering unmatched prestige, compensation, and a ticket to global mobility.

Now, a combination of layoffs spurred by AI and Trump’s tightening immigration policies is reducing the once-unquestioned appeal of Silicon Valley giants. Meanwhile, Indian AI jobs are evolving beyond back-end roles.

An early-stage AI company in India pays 50%-75% of what Microsoft, Google, or Meta pays for an equivalent role, but getting a foot in the door sooner comes with lucrative stock option plans and performance-linked incentives, Vaish said.

“A lot of people are willing to take that sort of 50% sacrifice today for the greater pot at the end,” Vaish said.

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